A LOST "SOLE"
A sequel to the autumn magazine article featuring the flight of six new type Merlin engine Wellington II bombers to Egypt in 1941. One having crashed on landing, the remaining five were based at Kabrit, situated on the Bitter Lakes, south east of Cairo.
November 1941, the target for tonight being Benghazi, Libya, necessitated a 200 mile flight to a desert landing ground to refuel, followed by a 900 mile round trip to Benghazi. On our return to LG104, our desert air traffic control, with the whole area under dense fog and no alternate airfield available, refused to answer our radio calls. With fuel running low, each individual crew was left to make their own decisions. Two aircraft ditched in the Mediterranean, two bailed out and we decided to land on a salt lake to the south of Mersa Matruh. Still in thick fog, we scraped along the escarpment north of the salt lake. I was the only casualty losing the sole of my left foot. Mid-morning, when the sun had dispersed the fog, a lone Hurricane spotted us, transmitted our position to base who arranged transport which arrived at night-fall.
After a month in hospital I joined a hospital ship at Suez bound for Durban. My foot showing signs of gangrene, the ship drew into calm waters to enable the surgeon to amputate. After paring and cleaning the wound, it was decided to await further developments. Thanks to his expertise and sympathetic action, my foot and my future, was saved, and we continued to Durban where specialists spent seven months restoring my “sole”. Arriving in Glasgow early in 1943, after training, I joined 76, a Halifax squadron, the Wing Commander being the legendary Leonard Cheshire. He was an observer on the Super Fortress which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and was so affected by the experience that he left the RAF, to establish the Cheshire Homes. A charismatic leader with an amazing memory for names, he will always remain my war, and peace, hero.
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November 7, 1941 IMPORTANT Mrs. Bowman Sherburn, Durham Regret to inform you that your son 1180438 Sergeant James Bowman had been admitted to Medical Receiving Station Middle East suffering from injuries to foot whilst engaged on Air operations. |
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Jim Bowman in Durban 1942 |
Jim’s Aircraft Log 5 November 1941 – 22 October 1943
· 63rd General Hospital 5 November 1941
· Durban Military Hospital 15 January 1942
· Addington Hospital 15 April 1942
· Oribi Military Hospital 4 July 1942
· Halton R.A.F. Hospital 10 October 1942
· Harwell 15 O.T.U. 29 November 1942 – 15 January 1943
Royal Air Force Station, Harwell opened as a bomber station in February 1937, with Hawker Audax and Hawker Hind aircraft, later replaced by Fairey Battles and Bristol Blenheims. As war broke out they departed to France, and a subsequent mauling, to be replaced here by Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Ansons to form No.l5 Operational Training Unit, which remained until March 1944. During this time 7,200 aircrew (1200 Wellington crews) were trained, and most were dispatched via Gibraltar and Malta to Egypt. https://village4a1000years.uk/wwii/
· Abingdon 1501 B.A.T. 13 December – 20 December 1942
No.10-OTU was formed in 1940 as part of No.8-Group RAF Bomber Command & trained pilots on the BAT Flight (Beam Approach Training Flight)
· Hampstead Norris 15 O.T.U. 15 January – 29 February 1943
· Marston Moor 1652 Con Unit 27 March – 28 April 1943
The airfield in Yorkshire was used by the 165 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) to convert pilots from the Whitley and Wellington medium bombers to piloting the four-engined Handley Page Halifax bomber. (Wikipedia)
· Linton-on-Ouse 76 Squadron 12 March – 27 March 1943
RAF Linton on Ouse was a Bomber Command station. It is located in Yorkshire 9 miles north-west from York. 76 Squadron was formed with Halifaxes May 1941 (https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/6445)
· Pocklington 102 Squadron 28 April to 22 Oct 1943
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